Yōsuke Matsuoka

Yōsuke Matsuoka
松岡 洋右
Matsuoka in 1932
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office
22 July 1940  16 July 1941
Prime MinisterFumimaro Konoe
Preceded byHachirō Arita
Succeeded byTeijirō Toyoda
Minister of Colonial Affairs
In office
22 July 1940  28 September 1940
Prime MinisterFumimaro Konoe
Preceded byKuniaki Koiso
Succeeded byKiyoshi Akita
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
21 February 1930  28 December 1933
ConstituencyYamaguchi 2nd
Personal details
Born(1880-03-04)4 March 1880
Hikari, Yamaguchi,
Empire of Japan
Died27 June 1946(1946-06-27) (aged 66)
Sugamo Prison, Tokyo,
Allied-occupied Japan
Political partyRikken Seiyūkai
SpouseRyuko Shin
ChildrenKenichiro
Kaneko
Yoji
Hiroko (adopted niece)
Parent(s)Sanjuro Matsuoka
Yū Ogawa
EducationMeiji University
University of Oregon
OccupationDiplomat, Cabinet Minister

Yōsuke Matsuoka (松岡 洋右, Matsuoka Yōsuke; March 4, 1880 June 27, 1946) was a Japanese diplomat and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Empire of Japan during the early stages of World War II. He is best known for his defiant speech at the League of Nations in February 1933, ending Japan's participation in the organization. He was also one of the architects of the Tripartite Pact and the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact in the years immediately prior to the outbreak of war.